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(502) 454-0277
World’s Top 25 Trains Revealed by
The Society of International Railway Travelers®Monday, Jan. 14, 2008 -- What does Europe’s very dignified grande dame, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, have in common with India’s wheezing, narrow-gauge geezer, the 100-year-old steam“ Toy Train”?
They’re both members of a select group; namely, “The World’s Top 25 trains,” as determined by The Society of International Railway Travelers.® An organization of travelers who love the comfort, romance and fun of great trains, the Society celebrates its 25th year in 2008.
Some on the list are over-the-top luxury, such as the all-first-class Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, Rovos Rail’s Pride of Africa and India’s Deccan Odyssey. Others offer the most stylish and comfortable way to see less-developed regions, such the world’s newest private train, the Danube Express, which offers week-long, rail-based “cruises” through Central Europe.
Per-person prices for these mostly private-train tours range from $2,895 for a week in Mexico’s Copper Canyon aboard the Sierra Madre Express to $26,500 for a 16-day Vancouver-Montreal excursion aboard the exclusive Royal Canadian Pacific, which hosted the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth—and Bill Gates.
Here, in geographical order, are the winning trains and principal countries or areas of operation:
THE WORLD'S TOP 25 TRAINS
BY
THE SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY TRAVELERS®
North America
1) Canadian (Canada)
2) Royal Canadian Pacific (Canada)
3) Canadian Rockies Steam Express (Canada)
4) Rocky Mountaineer (Canada)
5) GrandLuxe Express (US)
6) Sierra Madre Express (Mexico)South America
7) Andean Explorer (Peru)
8 ) Hiram Bingham (Peru)Africa
9) Blue Train (South Africa)
10) Pride of Africa (Rovos Rail) (South Africa)
Asia/Indian Subcontinent
11) Palace on Wheels (India)
12) Eastern & Oriental Express (SE Asia)
13) ShangriLa Express (China/Tibet)
14) Toy Train (India)
15) Deccan Odyssey (India)Europe
16) Danube Express (Central Europe, Turkey)
17) Al Andalus Express (Spain)
18) El Transcantábrico (Spain)
19) Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express (Russia)
20) Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (Europe)
21) Glacier Express (Switzerland)
22) Royal Scotsman (Scotland)“Down Under”
23) Ghan (Australia)
24) Indian Pacific (Australia)
25) Sunlander (Australia)
Selection Criteria
“The World’s Top 25 Trains are based on our own experience and that of our writers, editors, members and staff,” said Owen and Eleanor Hardy, the Society’s CEO and President, respectively. The selections were announced in a Special Edition of the The International Railway Traveler© magazine: The IRT Society’s Best-Loved Railway Journeys – 2008. TM
“The trains met stringent standards for service, accommodation, scenery, itinerary, off-train experiences and passenger enjoyment. Trains cannot pay to be included in this book: we choose them,” the Hardys said. With a few exceptions, the top trains are privately owned and operated, offering “rail cruises” on which passengers can spend the night on board.
The IRT Society’s Best-Loved Railway Journeys – 2008 includes complete descriptions of each of the “Top 25” trains: their compartments and public spaces, equipment used and preferred routes. The cover price is $35, but the publication is available free of charge through April 30 for inquiries made directly to the IRT Society office.
The Society is a membership organization whose benefits include an annual subscription to The International Railway Traveler. Regular annual U.S. membership dues are $85 ($95 for Canada; $105 elsewhere). To join, contact The Society of International Railway Travelers®, 2010 Edgeland Ave. #100, Louisville, KY 40204; telephone (502) 454-0277 or, outside Kentucky, (800) 478-4881; fax (502) 458-2250, email tourdesk@irtsociety.com. The web site is www.irtsociety.com.
-30-Click here to download the Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) of the Top 25 Trains press release.
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